Crevecoeur - What's an American

1769 WordsMar 19th, 20078 Pages

What is an American?
Early American writers have made long-lasting contributions to developing and explaining American beliefs, values, and culture. St. John de Crevecoeur's "What is an American" sets out to describe what makes an American an American. Through the analysis of American government, beliefs, culture, and values Crevecoeur explains to the world what an American encompasses.
Michel Guillaume Jean de Crevecoeur was born on December 31, 1735 in Caen, Normandy. At the age of nineteen, Crevecoeur traveled to England to live with relatives. In England, Crevecoeur planned on marriage however his bride to be died prior to their ceremony. In 1755, Crevecoeur immigrated to Canada and enlisted in the French colonial Militia as a surveyor…show more content…

The social hierarchy that exists in America was far different from the hierarchy present in Europe. The vast geography of land available in America allowed common men the chance of becoming a land owner. "Here no aristocratical families, no courts, no kings, no bishops, no ecclesiastical dominion, no invisible power giving to a few a very visible one; no great manufacturers employing thousands, no great refinements of luxury." (Crevecoeur 658) The opportunity for common men to own land allowed for less division among the rich and poor, referring to the existence of a middle class. "The rich and the poor are not so far removed from each other as they are in Europe."(Crevecoeur 658) Due to the less defined notions of being rich or poor and the ability to become a landowner to improve ones status easily fostered the American idea of working for one's self. This important aspect to the American social hierarchy allowed for the development of industry in America. For example, as the Americans began to work for themselves and create or provide certain products or services, industries begin to develop between the groups of common service or product providers. The cooperation and competition within the various industries helped to create quality products and services rather than products designed for luxury alone. The lack of a strict social hierarchy existing in America allows for America to be considered the land of freedom. "We have no princes, for whom we toil, starve,

Curfews: What's the Point?
The 14th amendment of the United States Constitution states that any state shall not “deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws" (Legal).
However, many cities and states in the US currently enforce curfew laws that deny young teens under the age of 18 their right to be in public places or to drive after certain hours. These laws are punishing minors for…

In the movie What’s Eating Gilbert Grape directed by Lasse Hallstrom, the idea of adversity is clearly shown. The Grapes aren’t your typical family, after the mother spirals down the staircase of depression, the five children are forced to grow up and mature as they now have the responsibility of looking after their mother. Endora is the town in which the story is set and the children are trapped inside as their mother hasn’t left the house in seven years. Gilbert Grape is faced with a number of…

What's Up With Pasta
Q1: We need to understand and research why the Spaniards are spending relatively less on Pasta than its European neighbors.
Current market research done by AEFPA offers insufficient data, so we need to improve data quality. The main goal is the get a clear demographic segmented market overview. One of the problems is that we cannot clearly identify the potential and current pasta consumers clearly – we simply do not know enough about of core target group. In addition we…

The definition of what America is, and furthermore what an American is, has been eternally elusive. However, it can be reasonably said that the vision of America rests upon freedom of expression, the right to property, and self-determination. These ideas are explored in one European’s examination of American agricultural society in the late 18th century. Letters from an American Farmer by J. Hector St. John de Crèvecœur illustrates the gilded nature of the early vision of America; one that appears…

American Identity Paper
Stafford Sweeting
University of Phoenix
HIS/110
Tom Albano
May 28, 2011
American Identity Paper
John Hector St. John de Crevecoeur was a naturalized French-American writer authored the 1782 essay Series, ‘Letters to an American Farmer’ which were presented as a book; the narratives of the collective essays describing and giving rise to what can now be determined as ‘American Ideals’ His through his ‘letters’ used American-English slang as they were used in the…

"What's in a Name?" Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
What really is in a name? Apparently, there is a lot. In Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'s story, "What's in a Name," there is a telling story about a young boy learning the powerful pain and humiliation in the racist practices of American society. Gates illustrates how racism can perpetuate prejudice that aims to take away individual identity and put entire groups of people down. Yet, the fact that Skip was willing to never look Mr. Wilson in the yes again shows…

Who's To Say What's Real
Many people often wonder what is real in their lives, especially whether the idea of heaven and God is real or not. Some think that what cannot be proved with facts is not real, where as others revolve their lives around the possibility of there being more after they pass on. Everyone has doubts in their religion, even preachers which is shown in the movie Heaven Is For Real. The movie seeks to explore if heaven truly is real after a small boy claims to have experienced…

The American Dream is so many different things to so many different people. While other countries around the World would like to argue that Americans’ only aspiration is to become infinitely wealthy, Dinesh D’Souza claims that it is not wealth that Americans want. He believes that it is simply a better life. Michael Moore too acknowledges Americans’ ambition, especially his own, to create a better life for themselves. These two views of the American Dream come from very opposite Americans, but it…

What is an American?
Early American writers have made long-lasting contributions to developing and explaining American beliefs, values, and culture. St. John de Crevecoeur's "What is an American" sets out to describe what makes an American an American. Through the analysis of American government, beliefs, culture, and values Crevecoeur explains to the world what an American encompasses.
Michel Guillaume Jean de Crevecoeur was born on December 31, 1735 in Caen, Normandy. At the age of nineteen, Crevecoeur…